11 Bengali candidates for UK general election

11th May was the last date for submission nominations for Theresa May’s snap UK general election 2017. 11 contestants from Bangladeshi origin are competing in this election. Out of these candidates, seven are from Labour, one from Liberal Democrat and three are standing as independent candidate. In 2015 general election, there were 11 contestants, out of them Rushanara Ali, Tulip Siddiq and Rupa Haq won the election from Labour Party. These three are also competing again this year from the same constituencies.

These years Labour candidates are Rushanara Ali from Bethnal Green and Bow, Tulip Siddiq from Hampstead and Kilburn, Dr Rupa Haq from Ealing Central, Barrister Anwar Babul Miah from Welwyn and Hatfield in Hertfordshire and Marina Ahmed from Beckenham Constituency of Greater London. These candidates are competing again from the same constituencies. Other Labour candidates who received nomination this year are Foysol Chowdhury MBE from Edinburgh South West and Abdullah Rumel Khan from Portsmouth North.

LibDems only Bengali candidate is District Councillor Saju Miha form Yair Forest constituency.

There will be three candidates of Bangladeshi origin who have declared to stand as independent. Out of these candidates, Ajmal Masroor will be competing from Bethnal Green and Bow, former Deputy Mayor of Tower Hamlets Oliur Rahman will compete from Poplar and Lime House and Abu Nowshed from Yardley of Birmingham.

Under usual circumstances, the next general election was supposed to take palce in 2020. However, due to the complicacy surrounding Brexit and other related issues, Theresa May decided to call this snap general election. Due to lack of time and resources, opposition parties are going through a troublesome situation. Most of the parties declared that holding MPs will automatically be nominated from their current constituencies and candidates who could not win in last election can compete for their seats should they decide to compete. If there are no candidates, the party will then field new candidates.

In 73 seats in London, Labour has fielded 38 female candidates and 35 male. Out of these candidates, apart from Rushanara, none of these are secured. The candidate won with the least margin was Rupa Huq. She won only with 274 vote’s difference. According to some analysts, this is the most risky seat for labour.

In 2015, Tulip Siddiq was elected from Hampstead and Kilburn receiving 23,977 votes. Her nearest contender Conservative’s Simon Marcus received 22,849 votes. Tulip won this seat only with the margin of 1138 votes. Tulip will face a tough challenge on this seat as ethnic minority voter do not form a huge proportion in her constituency. However, the positive side is a huge proportion of the voters voted for Remain during the referendum and Tulip was one the few MPs who defied Jeremy Corbyn on this and resigned from Shadow cabinet.

In Bethnal Green and Bow, Rushanara Ali won in 2015 election, receiving 32,387 votes and her nearest contender Conservative’s Mathew Smith received 8,070 votes. In that year Rushanara won by receiving 24,317 votes more than Mathew Smith.

This year popular TV personality Imam Ajmal Masroor declared to stand as independent candidate. He received 10,210 votes in 2010 general election from the same constituency standing from LibDem. In that year Rushanara won the seat by receiving 21,784 votes. However, the analysts are saying as Rushanara Ali holds the big majority, this seat can be declared safe for Rushanara.

On the other hand, Welwyn and Hatfield is a safe seat for Conservatives. In 2015 general election, former Tory Chairman Grant Shapps won from this constituency by receiving 25,281 votes and defeated Anwar Babul Miah received 13,128 votes. The difference was 12,153. The analysts are predicting a Tory victory again from form this seat.

Beckenham is also a Tory safe seat. Marina Ahmed received 9,484 votes in 2015 general election. The winner Bob Stuart of Conservative Party received 27,955 votes. The prediction for this seat is a Tory win again.

Portsmouth North is too a Conservative safe seat. Penny Mordant from Conservative received 21,343 votes in last election. John Ferret of Labour Party received 10,806 votes in that election. If Romel ought to win this seat, he will need to overturn the majority of 10,537 votes.

Edinburgh South West was a Labour seat in past. Veteran Labour politician Alistair Darling used to hold this seat until 2010. In 2015 Scottish National Party candidate Joanna Cherry snatched the seat of from Labour by receiving 22,168 votes. In that year Labour candidate received 14,033 votes. If Foysol Chowdhury can snatch 5,000 votes to his side, he will win this election.

Poplar and Lime House is also a safe seat for Labour. In 2015 Jim Fitzpatrick won the election with the majority of 16,924 votes. Community will be waiting to see the outcome Oliur Rahman can offer standing as an independent.

In 2015 general election, Ashuk Ahmed MBE competed from Liberal Democrats in Luton South constituency. He has been suspended from the party according to a Daily Mail report.